Motive-power apparatus.



MOTIVE POWER APPARATUS.

(Application led Apr. 24. 1901.)

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No. 694,642. Patented Mar. 4 |902.

J. HFMANN.

yMJTIVE POWE'RA'PPRATUS.'

(Applicaeian med Apr. 24, 1901.) v

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

H16 ATTORNEYS Tu: Nonms bucks carmen-Limo.. wAsHlNamN, u. c.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

JOSEF I'IOFMANN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

MOTIVEFPOWER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterS Patent No. 694,642, dated. March 4, 1902.

Application iiled April 24, 1901. Serial No. 57,228. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may con/cerro.-

Be it known that I, JOSEF I-IOFMANN, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, re, siding in Berlin, Germany, have invented an Improved Motive-Power Apparatus, of which, the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of appaj ratus in which an expansive motive fluid isy produced for use in motors of the character of steam-engines by combustion of an explosive mixture and the combination of the hot gases of combustion with water,which is thereby converted into aqueous vapor. Y l,

-One of the main objects of my invention is to so construct the apparatus that the wholl heat and force of the products of combustio will be utilized in their. primary function o,A combining with the water to produce the exi; pansive fluid in the form of aqueous vapors t6 be used in the motor. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, illustrating a construction and combination of apparatus for carrying my invention into effect; and Fig. 2 Yis a view of a modification.

The motor in which the aqueous vapors are to be employed to produce power is represented at ct, Fig. l, and may be of any suitable or well-known form. In the drawings I have indicated in plan a four-cylinder engine j with a central main crank-shaft b. With this motor is combined a pumping appliance B, to be actuated from the motor directly or indirectly tovdraw in and compress a charge of an explosive mixture, which is ignited, and at the forward compression-stroke of the piston of this pump the gases of combustion are discharged to an injector Z, which draws in water and-sprays it, with the hot gases, into a suitable combining or mixing chamber 7, whence the expansive motive fluid thus produced is delivered to motor a .through the j pipe 8.

I prefer to actuate theVgas-pump Bindirectlyjfromthe motor a through hydraulic means-namely, a pump c--which supplies the water required for combination with the hot gases, this water being utilized as a medium for actuating in one direction the piston k of the gas-pump B. The water afterward passesfto'the water-jacket g', where it is heated, and thence through the pipe w to a receiver a: and pipe y to the injector Z. f The piston-rod c of the pump c may be driven `from the shaft b of the motor ct in any Suitable way, but preferably through the lnedium of a variable friction-gearing b. y The. pump c draws its water from any suitable supply d through a suction-valve 9 on the upstroke of the piston and then on the downward stroke forces its charge out through the outlet-valve 10 and pipe c to the hydraulic cylinder f, which is wmounted centrally in the hollow cylindrical cap m' of; the pump-cylinder g. In this cylinder f works a ram or piston Z, fixed to the gas-pump piston 7e, which preferably has a conical face corresponding with the conical end of the cylinder g. The latter has the waterjacket g around it. A outer conical end of this cylinder g there is an inlet-valve h for .the combustible mixture ofl air and gas or'other explosive mixture, and fj indicates any suitable 4ignition device. The f outlet-valve for the products of combustion is represented at z', being normally held toits @seat by a spiral spring 6, acting upon a piston 4, which is secured to the stem of the alve i and which is free to work in the cyindrical casing 5, but leaving between the alve 'land piston 4 a chamber 3, from which leads an outlet-pipe 2 to the injector Z. The described construction of valve i and piston Lilmakes the valve a balanced valve so far as regards back pressure from the pipe'2.

vFrom the water-pipe e there leads a branch pipe q to the water-jacket gf, the connection, however, being through a valve-box r and valve s, the stem t of which extends into the cylindricall cap m, where it passes freely through a cross-headl o and isprovided with shoulders or stops u and c, to be acted on by the said cross-head at the extremities of its movement. This cross-head o is guided on the exterior of the fixed cylinder f and is connected by rods p to the piston 7c, spiral springs 'n being interposed between the cross-head and the inner end ofthe hollow cap 'm to draw the piston la back to the position shown in the drawings. When the piston is in the backward position illustrated in the drawings, the cross-head o will have come against the stop u in the valve-rod tand pushed the valve At the IOO s to the position shown, cutting off communication between the cylinder f and the branch q, leading to the water-jacket g. On the othe1` hand, when the piston 7c has been forced outward at the end of its stroke by the pressure of the water in the cylinder or ram fthe cross-head will have come into contact with the stop c on the valve-rod t and will have opened communication between the cylinder io fand the branch pipe q.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: On the downstroke of the piston c' of the hydraulic pump c the pressure of the water will force the piston 7c of the gas-pump B outward toward the conical end of the cylinder g until the valve s is moved by the forward movement of the piston from the position shown to open communication from the cylinder f to the branch q. Thereupon the piston of the pump c beginning its npstroke the action of the springs n will cause the piston 71; to return, forcing the water out from the cylinderf through the branch q into the water-jacket g' and thence to the receiver az. This return stroke of the piston 7.: will draw in the explosive mixture through the valve h, and when the piston 7c reaches the end of its return movement (the -position indicated in the drawings) the valve s will be moved to cut o communication between the cylinder f and the branch q, and thereupon the force of the pressure of water by the pump c will force the piston 7c outward again, compressing the charge of the explosive mixture in the cylinder q, until it reaches a point where it is exploded by the igniting device j. The piston 7c has, however, not then reached the end of its outward movement, and the force of the explosive action is therefore not expended in returning the piston it. The whole force of the explosive and expansive action is directly utilized for its primary purpose of carrying the gases of combustion out through the valve t' and the pipe 2 to the injector Z, where they will by suction draw the hot water from the receiver Qc. Not only is all the force of the explosive action thus used for its primary purpose, just described, instead of being expended in actuating a piston, as in a gas-engine, but, further than that, the piston 7.: immediately after the explosion will continue its forward movement and at the same forward stroke force out the remainder of the products of combustion through the Valve t' and pipe 2. When the piston has thereupon reached the extremity of its outward movement, the cross-head o, carried by it, will come into contact with the stop t' on the valve-rod t and move the valve s so as to then open communication between the cylinder f and the branch q, leading to the water-jacket,whereupon the springs n, which have meantime been compressed, will draw the piston 7c back to the position shown, drawing in a fresh supply of combustible mixture through the valved inlet h and then closing the valve s, and so the cycle of movements will continue. In the vaporizingchamber, which I prefer to form as a coil 7, the hot gases of combustion exchange their heat with the less hot water sprayed therein by and with the gases from the injector Z, and the hot water is converted into steam, which, mixed with the now-cooled gases, furnishes an expansive motive fluid suitable to operate `motors of the character of steam-engines-as, for example, the motor a, to which the mixture is supplied through the pipe 8. The quantity of water mixed with each charge of the gas and the action of the gas-pump may be regulated by proper proportioning of the water-pump c and the cylinder f and by proper regulation of the working speed of the water-pump c.

The described construction of motive-power apparatus on the one hand insures a more complete utilization of the fuel than with a steam-boiler, and on the other hand insures the smooth running of a steam-engine without the jerky vibrations of a gas-engine.

It will be understood that I do not confine myself to the details of construction described, as various modifications may be made therein. For instance, as shown in Fig. 2, there may be interposed between the waterpump c2 and the hydraulic cylinder f an accumulator P, the pipe e from the latter leading to a valve-box r', in which a valve s is so interposed as to cut off communication between the pipe e' and the cylinder f when the latter is opened to the branch q, as will be readily understood.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a motor of the steam-engine type of a pump for compressing combustible mixtures, means for exploding the mixture before the termination of the compression-stroke and discharging at the same stroke, a valved outlet from said pump, a mixing-chamber to which said outlet leads, means for supplying Water with the hot gases of combustion to the mixing-chamber, a pipe leading from the latter to the motor, and means whereby the motor actuates the said pump.

2. The combination with a motor of the steam-engine type, of a pump for compressing combustible mixtures, means for exploding the. mixture before the termination of the compression-stroke and discharging at the same stroke, a valved outlet from said pump, a mixing-chamber, means for supplying Vwater with the hot gases of combustion to the mixing-chamber, a pipe leading from the latter to the motor and means to actuate the pump from the motor to compress the combustible mixture and discharge the gases of combustion by the same forward stroke of the pump-piston.

3. The combination with a motor of the steam-engine type, of a pump for compressing combustible mixtures, means for explodlng the mixture before the termination of the compression-stroke and discharging at the lOO IIO

same stroke, a valved outlet from said pump, i a mixing-chamber, means for supplying wa-,` ter with the hot gasesl of combustion to vthev mixing-chamber, a pipe leading from the latter to the motor, and means including a vay, riable friction-gearing for actuating said pump from the motor.

4. The combination of a motor of the steamengine type, with a pump for drawing, compressing and ligniting combustible mixtures, a mixing-chamber, 4means for supplying wa`Y ter'with the hot gases of combustion to the mixing-chamber, a pipe leading from the latter to the motor, and a hydraulic pumpto actuate the pistonof the gas-pump on its forward stroke, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a motor of the stearr1-- engine type, with means f or mixinghot wa l ter and gasesr to produce expansive Huid to actuate the motor, a pump for drawing, couv,A pressing and igniting combustible mixtures and discharging the hot gases, a hydraulic; pump operated from the motor to supply wa-` open and close the connection to the water and gasmixing means, all substantially as described. K

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEF HOFMANN.

Witnesses:

F. WARREN WRIGHT, HUBERT HowsoN.

presence of 

